Bobcat Nation:

First marking period interim reports will be distributed via HAC on Wednesday, October 5th. If you have any questions about a particular class, please contact the teacher. This will allow them to provide you with suggestions on how to provide the best supports to help your child improve their performance. It may also be valuable to work with your child to set goals for the remainder of the first marking period.

The end of the first marking period is November 3rd and report cards will be distributed on November 15th. These dates will get here quickly. It is important for students not to wait until the last minute to study for tests, turn in missing assignments, etc.

Have a great week!

Mr. Webster, NMS Principal

https://twitter.com/NorthernMSCCPS

RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/NMSMathNight22

Contact Mr. Phillips if you have questions in the GTT room or email him at phillipsj@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Students received a Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application at the beginning of the school year. The form is also available on the CCPS website at Departments – Child Nutrition or at https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/child-nutrition. Households are strongly encouraged to complete the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application to see if their student(s) qualify for free meals. Anyone wishing to submit an application may do so by:

• Accessing and completing online at www.myschoolapps.com
• Hard copy dropped off or mailed to Northern Middle School (2954 Chaneyville Road, Owings, MD 20736) or mailed directly to the CCPS Child Nutrition Office, 1305 Dares Beach Rd., Prince Frederick, MD 20678
• Scan or take a picture of the completed application. Email the scan/picture to Mrs. Pellock at pellockl@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

We have completed the fall sports clinics for soccer and volleyball. Thank you to Coach Poole and Coach Rossi for providing a valuable experience for all of our clinic participants. Teams were posted last week. Congratulations to those student athletes who will be competing against the other CCPS middle schools. Practices for those who made the teams begin on Monday.

Please consider joining the NMS PTO. The PTO is a very active organization at NMS. We need the support of all parents and families. Even if you have no time to volunteer, there are other ways to support all children at NMS. Please look for PTO information at the beginning of the school year and at Back-to-School Night.

The electronic link for membership is https://pto-membership-83842.cheddarup.com

You can also access the NMS PTO Facebook group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/nmsbobcatspto/

The PTO is organizing several committees to help with events throughout the year. If you are interested in helping, please sign-up at https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0e4aa8ac2dabfac70-ptocommittees

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal program that helps eligible families afford a broadband internet connection. For example, households with at least one child eligible for the National School Lunch Program may be eligible for free high-speed Internet through ACP.

Our local internet provider Comcast (Xfinity) is a participating ACP provider and is offering qualified households FREE high-speed Internet who enroll in their Internet Essentials program. The Internet Essentials program is available to new and existing Comcast customers.

For more information and to see if you qualify for free internet, please visit the following websites: www.xfinity.com/ACP and www.affordableconnectivity.gov.

Looking for a fun way to serve the community? Gather up your favorite turkeys and join NHS FBLA on Saturday, November 19th at 7:45 for the second FBLA Turkey Trot for Charity. This event will be open to all members of the community, with a discount for student athletes. The main event will be a 5k race, walk, trot, jog, stroll, or however you want to participate. Times will be recorded and top participants recognized. All proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maryland, a nonprofit which provides low-cost childcare to families that need assistance for various reasons. This program teaches kids the skills they need to lead productive, prosperous lives. So please show up in your favorite turkey attire in support of the school, the community, and our future generations. Sign up online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nhs-fbla-2nd-turkey-

trot-5k-tickets-424245127597.

Sign up before October 20th to receive a free event T-Shirt. We look forward to seeing you there! Questions should be directed to Nancy Wilt-Tassa at wiltn@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Effective Friday, 9/30, the western intersection and crossover at Mount Harmony Road, West and Rt 4 will be blocked. These closures are estimated to last nine months.

More information about the SHA Improvement Project can be found at: https://mdot-sha-md4-at-mount-harmony-rd-ca2365176-maryland.hub.arcgis.com/

https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/district-information/reopening-plan

https://calvertnet.nutrislice.com/

Calvert County Public Schools uses Raptor for visitors and volunteers to sign in and sign out. Volunteers must apply annually to be an approved volunteer. All volunteers will need to review the volunteer handbook and watch the volunteer training video before completing and Online Volunteer Application. Volunteers must be approved before they may begin service as a volunteer in any school buildings.

CCPS Online Volunteer Application & Process: https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/human-resources/become-a-volunteer

It is the responsibility of all families, students, and staff members to self-assess before entering a school bus or CCPS facility by answering the following questions:

• Has the individual or anyone in the family been sick with dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, fever, muscle or body aches, sore throat, or loss of sense of taste or smell in the last 5 days?
• Has the individual or anyone in the family been exposed to COVID-19 and asked to quarantine? If yes, who was directed to quarantine and what date did the quarantine start? (Ensure quarantine time is up and symptoms have improved.)
• Has the individual or anyone in the family tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, who and when? Were they having any symptoms? (Ensure quarantine is up and symptoms have improved.)
• Student and staff should not attend school if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been medically advised to quarantine. If this is the case, please contact our School Nurse, Carin Fleshman, at 443-550-9227 or fleshmanc@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

Here Comes the Bus (HCTB) is an app with tracking features for the bus(es) your child(ren) is assigned to ride. They include

• Showing the real-time location of your child's bus on a map
• Scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school for bus routes
• Push and email notifications when the bus is near

Click this link for more information on getting the app - https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/transportation/bus-status/here-comes-the-bus

To create an account, you will need to know your child's ID number and the school district activation code 87557.

If students have questions about their device (laptop/computer), they can get help from a member of the CCPS IT team at helpdesk@calvertnet.k12.md.us or call 443-550-8146. Students needing assistance can also drop off their laptop in the main office and fill out a paper Help Desk ticket.

Supports are also available on the CCPS website using the Technology Support button (pictured below) on the main page. This resource provides links to submit help desk tickets, frequently asked questions, and other resources students can use to solve issues.